Car-brake



'(No Modell.)

B. F. SMITH.

GAR BRAKE.

10.260,618. Y y Patented Ju1y4,-1882v.

. INVBNTOR:

ATTORNEYS.'

N. PETERS, Plmlwunwgmpher. washingwn. D. C.

UNITED STATES'.

PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. SMITH, OF ALABASTER, MICHIGAN.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,618, dated July 4,1882.

Application med March 13,1852. (No model.) f

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SMITH, of

Alabaster, in the county of Ioscoand State of Michigan, have invented anew and Improved Automatic Car-Brake, of which the. following is a full,clear, and exact descliption.

My invention relates to an improvement in automatic car-brakes forrailway-cars, the object being to provide adevice which shall permit theengineer or others handling cars in lnotion to avail themselves of themomentum of such moving cars to cause them to be retarded in theiI`forward motion by the application ofthe force of their impetus to theirbrakes.

A further object of my invention is to provide for the above -describedapplication of power in an efficient manner without detriment tc theusual use of the present brake, and, further, to provide for the disuseof this application when it is desired to move cars backward and forwardwhile making up trains at stations, or otherwise.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formin g part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a longitudinal sectional elevatio of a car provided with myimproved automatic brake. Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal elevation ofthe working parts of myimproved autoend of a car to and connecting withthe brake mechanism located beneath the car nearl the centerthereof,both in length and width. This rod has an'enla-rged head on its forwardend to serve as a bumper. This rod is suspended or held in position bysuitable straps or other device, B, and moves freely lengthwise, havinga spring, C, coiled around it,'and a washer, T,

y against 4which the spring operates to keepthe rod forward in its placewhen not in action.

In thecenter (or nea-r it) of the car is attached to the middle beam ofthe floor of the car, or otherwise and beneath the same, the mechanismshown in Figs. 2 and 3 by suitable bolts. It consists of an ironplate,E, which is pivoted to the car on the bottom by a central y pin,F, and to which plate are attached the rods A by suitable pins, forwhich purpose the ends of rods A are enlarged and a suitable hole madein them to admit the pins. This plate 'E is supported by the pin F,which is fitted into the cap H and rests on a Washer, I. This washer iskept in its place by the key K passing through the pin. The plate .E hasa grooved edge to receive the chain or ropes M. The pin F iscylindrical, with a square head, which is fitted into the cap H, andthis cap H is attached to the central beam of thebottom of a car bysuitable bolts. There are also attached to the central beam or bottom ofthe car in similar manner to plate E two grooved pulleys, L, for thepurpose of giving direction to the rope or chains attached to thecentral plate, E.

The ropes or chains `M are attached to the central plate,E,by suitablebolts or pins,N. and lead from the plate around the guide-pulleys, toand through a sheave, O, thence to the lever of a car-brake, to whichthey are suitably attached, as at P, substantially as represented in thedrawings.

The rod A is divided in its forward part, and on its inner section isfirmly attached a sleeve, D, into which the forward portion of rod AWorks, for the purpose of adjusting its length, when desired, andfon-the further purpose of rendering the rod A inoperative when itsforward end is inserted into the sleeve as far as possible.

To adjust the forward part of the rod as desired, the sleeve is slottedin several places, as at S S S, to receive the pin or key R, and a slotis likewise made in the end of the forward part of the rod A to receivethe said pin or key R.l Now, when the forward part of Y rod A is placedwithin thesleeve and fastened by the pin R it acts with the sleeve andrear part of rod, forming a continuous rod, A.

Having thus described my invention in detail, I describe its operationas follows Let it be supposed a train otcars with this device is beinghauled on a railway by a locomotive, and it is desired by the engineerto slow or stop the train. In such case the engineer will apply thebrakes to his locomotive and retard its motion, when such retardationwill cause all the cars in the train to come together with pressure onthe heads of the rods A, and by such pressure they will be moved orpushed in and toward the center of each car, and thereby the plate Ewill be caused to rotate on its central pin, and drawing with it theropes or chains attached to it, and these chains will apply the brakesto the wheels of each car in similar manner as they are now applied, andwillcheck the motion of the train or cause it to come to a rest, thusrenderingavailable the momentum of cars in motion to retard or overcometheir motion.

By removing` key R and pushing the adjustable ends of adjacent rods Awithin their sleeves D until the heads of said rods are behind thebumper or draw-heads of the cars, and securing them to prevent contactof said rods, it is evident that the automatic brake mechanism will berendered inoperative; and, by means of rod or chain connections betweenthe lever P and the ordinary hand-brake shaft and ratchet, the brakes of a ear may be operated by hand at will in the usual manner, the

.application of my improvement in no way interfering with the action ofsuch hand-brakes, whether the rods A be adjusted in either operative orinoperative position, as above described.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a car, of a pivotedplate on the bottom of the same, longitudinallysliding bar or rodspivoted to this plate and adapted to be operated by the adjacent car,and ot ropes or chains attached to this plate and to the brakes,substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose setforth.

2. 'Ihe combination, with a car, of a pivoted plate on the bottom of thecar, longitudinally-sliding bars or rods pivoted to this plate andadapted to be operated by the adjacent car, ropes or chains attached tothis pivoted plate and to the brakes, and of pulleys for guiding theseropes and chains, substantially as herein shown and described, and forthe purpose set forth.

3. The combinatiomwith a car, of the pivoted plate E, the bars or rodsA, pivoted thereto, the springs C, and the ropes or chains M, attachedto the plate E and to the brakes, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with a car, of thepvoted plate E, the rods or barsA, the ropes or chains M, attached to the plate E and to the brakes, andofthe pulleys L and O, substantially as herein shown and described, andfor the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with acar, of the pivoted plate E, of the ropes orchains M, the bars or rods A, and devices for shortening these bars orrods A, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purposeset forth.

6. The ombination, with a car, ot the pivoted plate E, of the ropes orchains M, the bars or rods A, and devices for shortening the bars orrods if the brake device is not to be operated, substantially as hereinshown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination with a car, of the pivoted plate E, the ropes orchains M, the rods or bars A, the sleeve or tubular piece. D, forreceiving the adjoining ends of two sections ot' rods or bars A, and ofthe key R, substantially as herein shown and described, and for thepurpose of adjusting the length ofthe rods,as set forth.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN ROBINSON, J AMES W. SHAVER.

